Author: James Blackwell
(MENAFN - The Conversation) With Peter Dutton recently shifting into a more outward-facing portfolio as Australia s new defence minister, we must begin to assess his past actions and statements through an international policy lens.
Placing someone like Dutton â a strong political partisan with a litany of controversial views â in the defence role has the potential to damage the department s ability to achieve some of its long-term strategic objectives.
The defence portfolio is no longer concerned solely with Australia s participation in conflicts overseas or our national self-defence. In recent years, defence has been forced to grapple with non-traditional security issues, such as climate change-related disaster relief, as well as the current pandemic. It has also put a concerted effort towards engaging more with First Nations communities.